This invention relates generally to collision avoidance systems for aircraft and more particularly to a novel, low cost, universal collision, obviation and reduced near miss (UNICORN™) system which is particularly useful and affordable with small private aircraft.
In conditions of crowded air traffic zones and/or low visibility it is necessary that the pilot of one aircraft be warned of the presence of a nearby aircraft so that he may maneuver his aircraft to avoid a disastrous collision. Systems known as TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems) employ an interrogator mounted on a commercial jet aircraft and transponders carried on each aircraft it is likely to encounter. In this way, an interrogation is communicated by radar between the aircraft carrying TCAS and smaller, threat aircraft in the vicinity. This is done so that an enhanced radar signal is returned to the jet aircraft to enable the commercial pilot to avoid a collision. The transponder also encodes the returned radar signal with information unique to the threat aircraft on which it is installed. A GPS receiver is also recommended in order to encode information regarding the position of a threat aircraft with respect to the position of the jet aircraft. With TCAS, the burden is on the commercial jet pilot to avoid a collision when an alert signal is received.
These systems however are very complicated and very costly and are used primarily on commercial sized aircraft. Because of the high cost, these systems are rarely incorporated on smaller, privately owned aircraft whose pilots are often flying blindly under adverse weather and traffic conditions, a situation which often leads to an unavoidable collision. General aviation pilots are also reluctant to incur the cost of installing a transponder without gaining autonomous control over averting a collision.
Thus, there is a need for a low cost, reliable warning and collision avoidance system particularly useful on smaller, privately owned aircraft to enhance flight safety conditions within the air traffic industry. The UNICORN™ system described hereinbelow fulfills that need.